Remember my post about swelling? Preeclampsia & early delivery

So the night before thanksgiving I asked you ladies about swelling, welllll turns out I have preeclampsia and I am staying in the hospital until I deliver. I’m 32 weeks, I’ll be 33 weeks Monday. The doctor told me they will be giving me steroids so I can hopefully deliver at 34 weeks but the goal is 37... anyone deal with this before? Any stories on what I can expect?

Comments (11)

I’m so sorry you’re going through this! I’m 32 weeks as well and have been in the hospital for about a week, also here until I deliver. This is my third time being hospitalized this pregnancy. I have preeclampsia as well though my main issue is BP. I also have a daughter born at 32 weeks from preeclampsia with my last pregnancy.

The doctors will try to get you as far as possible, but with this disease things change quickly. Every day you stay pregnant is one more day baby isn’t in the NICU, and that’s a small victory!

Babies born before 36 weeks will almost certainly need NICU time, though some 35 weekers go home with mom. I’d definitely ask about touring the NICU and talking with the neonatologists if they haven’t set up consults for you. That will help set some of your expectations if you do deliver early.

There’s actually a group of us with preeclampsia or gestational hypertension who are either hospitalized or on bedrest and trying to make it as far as possible right now - feel free to join us for support. We’re on this thread:

I’m so sorry you’re going through this! I’m 32 weeks as well and have b...

Posted
11/30/2018

I’m so sorry you’re going through this! I’m 32 weeks as well and have been in the hospital for about a week, also here until I deliver. This is my third time being hospitalized this pregnancy. I have preeclampsia as well though my main issue is BP. I also have a daughter born at 32 weeks from preeclampsia with my last pregnancy.

The doctors will try to get you as far as possible, but with this disease things change quickly. Every day you stay pregnant is one more day baby isn’t in the NICU, and that’s a small victory!

Babies born before 36 weeks will almost certainly need NICU time, though some 35 weekers go home with mom. I’d definitely ask about touring the NICU and talking with the neonatologists if they haven’t set up consults for you. That will help set some of your expectations if you do deliver early.

There’s actually a group of us with preeclampsia or gestational hypertension who are either hospitalized or on bedrest and trying to make it as far as possible right now - feel free to join us for support. We’re on this thread:
https://community.babycenter.com/post/a70403471/in-ld-for-the-weekend-high-blood-pressure?cpg=18

If you don’t mind me asking, what determined your daughter would be born at 32 weeks? They told me they want to push for 34 weeks. I’m just sooo nervous, I feel like when I ask what the risks are for baby being born early, I get answers like “well there’s not many effects in the long run” like as a FTM (first time mom) I don’t know how that sounds! How long did your daughter stay in NICU? I’m actually at a hospital with a great NICU, thankfully.

If you don’t mind me asking, what determined your daughter would be born at...

Posted
11/30/2018

If you don’t mind me asking, what determined your daughter would be born at 32 weeks? They told me they want to push for 34 weeks. I’m just sooo nervous, I feel like when I ask what the risks are for baby being born early, I get answers like “well there’s not many effects in the long run” like as a FTM I don’t know how that sounds! How long did your daughter stay in NICU? I’m actually at a hospital with a great NICU, thankfully.

I was diagnosed with gestational hypertension at 30w, and blood pressure was initially my only problem. I was also very swollen. But somewhere around 32 weeks, I just began feeling very sick. I had a horrible headache that wouldn’t go away, blurred visions and spots all over, and just a general feeling of unwell. My labs revealed elevated liver enzymes and low platelets, which can lead to organ damage. At that point it was severe preeclampsia and I had to deliver. I would imagine with you right now, they’re just keeping an eye on everything - if they can keep things stable, you’ll be good, but like I said, things can change very quickly and without warning.

Your questions about the effects on baby would be best answered by a member of the NICU team, so I hope you get to talk to them! But in my experience and from what I’ve been told, by the time you hit 32 weeks the chances of major health problems that preemies can face (chronic lung disease, brain bleeds, and NEC specifically) are very reduced. Most 32+ week babies need minimal oxygen assistance for a short time and then their biggest challenge is feeding/growing. The suck, swallow, breathe reflex doesn’t develop until the 34th week typically, so 32-34 week babies will usually need a few weeks to get the hang of feedings. My daughter stayed 39 days and feeding was her only issue.

My good friend delivered at 34 weeks in late October due to preeclampsia. She just felt like something was wrong and took her BP and it was sky high at 33 weeks. She went to the hospital and they transferred her to another hospital, where she was for about a week on a magnesium drip and with monitoring. Finally, she got bad enough that they had to deliver, she had him at 34 weeks exactly. He spent a little under three weeks in the NICU due to needing to learn to feed, only needed oxygen for a couple of days. He's doing well now, he has a slight heart murmur and has a little difficulty feeding but we luckily work with a great feeding specialist and she's taking care of them. Otherwise he's doing well.

I work in the NICU periodically, usually 34+ weekers do very well and need little follow-up after their stay.

I had my first at 34 w 5 days due to pre-eclampsia. I felt fine but was very swollen. Went to an doctor's appt turned out my BP was super high and I had protein in my urine so I was admitted, given shots to help develop his lungs, put on magnesium and bedrest. 2 days later they had to induce because baby heart rate dropped.
He was 4 lbs at birth and had to stay in the NICU for 9days,basically to learn to feed and breath at the same time, and gain weight. He did not need any oxigen but was jaundice for about 3 days.

It was a very scary experience but if you see him now you wouldn't even belive it, he is a perfect 11 yr old boy. No developmental issues at all. By 2 months old he had caught up with his growth and all. This time around Dr's and I are being more cautious due to that history but so far so good.

I wish you best of luck and just follow their instructions and be strong during the NICU stay but I'm sure it won't be a long one. Sending you hugs and blessings.

I had my first at 34 w 5 days due to pre-eclampsia. I felt fine but was very ...

Posted
12/01/2018

I had my first at 34 w 5 days due to pre-eclampsia. I felt fine but was very swollen. Went to an doctor's appt turned out my BP was super high and I had protein in my urine so I was admitted, given shots to help develop his lungs, put on magnesium and bedrest. 2 days later they had to induce because baby heart rate dropped.
He was 4 lbs at birth and had to stay in the NICU for 9days,basically to learn to feed and breath at the same time, and gain weight. He did not need any oxigen but was jaundice for about 3 days.

It was a very scary experience but if you see him now you wouldn't even belive it, he is a perfect 11 yr old boy. No developmental issues at all. By 2 months old he had caught up with his growth and all. This time around Dr's and I are being more cautious due to that history but so far so good.

I wish you best of luck and just follow their instructions and be strong during the NICU stay but I'm sure it won't be a long one. Sending you hugs and blessings.

Wow that’s honestly a great story, so the NICU stay wasn’t too long? That’s honestly awesome and sooo relieving! Did you ever have any issues with baby measuring small? My baby is right on track, just worried about her falling behind.

Wow that’s honestly a great story, so the NICU stay wasn’t too long? That’s honestly awesome and sooo relieving! Did you ever have any issues with baby measuring small? My baby is right on track, just worried about her falling behind.

He was actually one of the biggest in the nicu. They just needed him to gain weight. When he got to 6lbs he was released and that took him only 9 days. He was put on vitamins for the first month after coming home and that helped him gain more weight and catch up. By the time his actual due date came by he was not longer using newborn clothes or diapers.

And he never messured small, I had pretty normal pregnancy up until one day when I went for a check up and my BP was sky high, I had no idea. I was admitted right away.

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